Planning experience cited by North Little Rock council hopefuls

North Little Rock City Council, Ward 3 candidate biographies.
North Little Rock City Council, Ward 3 candidate biographies.

A city planning commissioner and a former city alderman running for an open Ward 3 seat make up the only municipal race in North Little Rock in the Nov. 8 general election.


















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It's also the lone municipal race north of the river in Pulaski County. Neither Sherwood, Maumelle nor Jacksonville have a contested race for an elected city position.

So any local election attention falls on North Little Rock's Ward 3 and its City Council candidates: Ron Harris, a member of the North Little Rock Planning Commission for the past eight years; and John Parker, a former alderman in Ward 3 and a former planning commissioner.

Alderman Bruce Foutch announced in the spring that he wouldn't run for re-election because of health issues.

[INTERACTIVE LIST: Find the local races in your county or city]

North Little Rock aldermen are paid $10,609 annually. Terms are for four years.

Though Harris, 61, is in his first election campaign, he isn't a novice in dealing with area residents or with problems. Harris, vice president of Summerwood Inc. custom homebuilders, a jointly-owned business with his wife, Vikki, retired from Entergy Arkansas Inc. after 37 years. He had been an account manager and customer service manager with the utility, covering North Little Rock, Maumelle, Sherwood and west Little Rock.

"That's one of the things I believe prepares me for the alderman's job," Harris said. "People say to me, 'Ron, you're going to receive a lot of calls as an alderman.' I have to reply that after 37 years with an electric utility and servicing the community, I can't imagine a type of call that I haven't received. I'm very experienced in receiving calls and listening to customers and trying to find a solution."

Parker, 69, district sales and circulation manager for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, is also experienced with dealing directly with customers and residents through his full-time job and his many years in North Little Rock city government. Besides being Ward 3's alderman for one term (2004-07), Parker also served four years on the city Planning Commission and 14 years on the North Little Rock Board of Adjustment and Appeals.

"I am probably the best-suited person for this position who is not currently on the City Council, or to fill any position available," Parker said. "I just feel like I'm overly qualified to accomplish whatever is necessary to make North Little Rock a better place. I'm proud to be a resident of North Little Rock and have been all my life. I want others to be as proud of North Little Rock as I am."

Both candidates tout their experience with the city Planning Commission as valuable preparation for joining the City Council.

"You're learning at kind of a basic level about the community and about community planning," Harris said of being a commissioner. "You get to hear from citizens about how they want their neighborhood to grow and what are the important issues in their neighborhood. Now, when an issue comes to the City Council, I'll know the process they went through and will be able to help out there, as well."

Parker said he also learned from all of his previous roles in city government.

"You can't be as involved in the city of North Little Rock without meeting, knowing and working with a lot of folks who serve the citizens of North Little Rock," Parker said. "We have a lot to be proud of in North Little Rock, and I want to work to continue the progress in North Little Rock. I want to encourage the revitalization of business that will be to the benefit of all."

The two candidates live in different areas of the ward. Harris' home is in the Southwind addition off Crystal Hill Road in more of the western part of the ward. Parker lives in the Scenic Hill neighborhood on the eastern side. The ward extends from Camp Robinson Road in the Levy area westward to Maumelle.

"Ward 3, at least the old part of the ward, is in bad need of some TLC," Parker said. "Ward 3 is one of the older parts of the city. It's an area where there are deficiencies that need to be addressed, whether it be street gutters, code enforcement or business revitalization, which is a key part to address.

"I want to work for the revitalization of the old business areas and to continue the progress of improving the drainage there with new curbs and gutters in areas and streets where they have never been before," Parker added. "The new part of Ward 3, the growth area, really toward where Maumelle is, doesn't need anything. The need is in the old Levy business area and down MacArthur Drive.

"The revitalization of businesses in the older areas of the city is the best thing we can do to improve conditions in North Little Rock," he said.

Harris agreed that economic growth is a vital goal in all areas of the ward, something he said he understands well from building homes.

"The economic benefit of homes and how many homes are generated is how we help in developing and building the community and creating jobs and economic development," Harris said. "Gosh, I'd love to be the anchor on this growing side of our city. I just think my participation on the City Council will help in that, having kind of a new vision and getting a new perspective and having a vision, also, for Amboy and Levy and solving some issues there.

"I've listened to the concerns about some about drainage issues in Ward 3, and there's some economic growth needed, a revitalization needed in that corridor," Harris said. "And that's where I think I can bring some fresh perspective. I like to think in my builder mindset. A customer wants a home built, and I put the team together and get it done. It allows me to see a goal and accomplish that goal, then move on to another goal and, hopefully, everybody's satisfied."

Metro on 10/23/2016

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